Recording: Labyrinth Finale Ensemble

Artist: Labyrinth Finale Ensemble

Song: Dar Hejiroke

Recorded at 918 Bathurst (Labyrinth Ontario Launch / Fundraiser), September 15, 2017.

Labyrinth Finale Ensemble - Dar Hejiroke

This night was the formal public launch of Labyrinth Ontario, a new initiative founded by local musicians Araz Salek and Jonathan Adjemian to promote "the study and enjoyment of global traditions of modal music". Bringing together some diverse ensembles, this night featured music of the highest calibre — an auspicious sign of things to come as the group begins to organize a number of teaching workshops and concerts next year.

Conceived as a finale to the evening, this brought together nearly all of the night's musicians into one mega-ensemble to raise their voices and instruments together on this Kurdish wedding song. When Bassam Bishara's plane was a little late coming in, it got shuffled before his set, but the quick flip allowed the night to keep moving.

Recording: Meden Glas

Artist: Meden Glas

Song: Trugnala E Malka Mome

Recorded at 918 Bathurst (Labyrinth Ontario Launch / Fundraiser), September 15, 2017.

Meden Glas - Trugnala E Malka Mome

This night was the formal public launch of Labyrinth Ontario, a new initiative founded by local musicians Araz Salek and Jonathan Adjemian to promote "the study and enjoyment of global traditions of modal music". Bringing together some diverse ensembles, this night featured music of the highest calibre — an auspicious sign of things to come as the group begins to organize a number of teaching workshops and concerts next year.

Exploring overlapping streams of Balkan folk music (mostly in the vocal tradition), this group brought songs from Dalmatia, Bulgaria, Kosovo and Greece, all united by modal polyphony. Richly emotionally resonant, a non-speaker of the language hardly needs a programme to sense the yearning spirit in this Bulgarian tune about a young girl being courted while heading to the well.